About two kilometres uphill from the monastery, set into the rocky hillside, is a granite outcrop known as Philip II's Chair — a natural ledge in the rock that tradition says the king used as a seat while watching the construction of El Escorial below. Whether or not Philip actually sat here, the spot gives an extraordinary bird's-eye view of the monastery laid out in its full grid of courtyards and towers against the Sierra de Guadarrama.
The walk up from the monastery takes about 30–40 minutes on a marked path through pine forest. From the "chair" you can see the full symmetry of the building's plan — something impossible to appreciate at ground level — and understand why Philip chose this particular hillside. On clear days, Madrid is visible in the distance. The path continues to the summit of Mount Abantos for those who want a longer walk.